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Call to worship: Zechariah 2:10-13

Text: Luke 14:1-24

Summary:

Jesus is at table with Pharisees. They're watching Him. He's perceiving them. He takes opportunity by the table to address their hearts and practices, to confront them on 'the weightier matters of the Law,' like spiritual sincerity, humility, and charity. These are the things that ought to mark the people of God. But will these Pharisees profitably hear the Lord? Unfortunately, it doesn't seem so. One in particular hears His lessons, and remarks how blessed everyone will be who eats in the Kingdom of God. Presumably, that includes all of them as they are. They've missed the point, and Jesus let's them know it. By a parable, He speaks to those who've been invited to God's banquet, only to make excuses when the Servant comes to bring them into it. They treasure the things of this world over the things of God, over the call of Christ. So they miss out. But that doesn't mean all miss out. No. God's house will be filled. His invitation goes out to all the world, even to those you'd least expect---and they come and enter His glory by the grace of Jesus. Even while we take care to ourselves, then, we're to compel as many as possible to enter while there's room.

Sermon Outline:

1. Cultivate Christ's community---3 marks. (14:1-14)
   • Spiritual sincerity. (14:1-6)
   • Spiritual humility. (14:7-11)
   • Spiritual charity. (14:12-14)
2. Embrace Christ's commission---compel all to come in. (14:15-24)
   • Hearing, but not hearing. (14:15)
   • Invited, but indifferent. (14:16-20)
   • Angered, but abounding. (14:21-23)
   • Excuses, and exclusion. (14:24)

Prepare

Discussion Questions:

1. Read Luke 14:1-24.
2. As you read 14:1-6, notice: with whom is Jesus eating? What is their posture towards Him? What opportunity is placed before Jesus? How does He use it to address their hearts? What is the force of the lesson? How does Jesus use common sense to expose their spiritual deficiency? How did they respond?
3. As you move to 14:7-11, what are we told Jesus further noticed about them? How does their practice disagree with the heart and way of God? Are we not to honor people? Concerning honor, what is the critical nuance in Jesus' parable? How does Jesus connect this lesson to eternal life, and how should faith, then, show itself in daily practice while on earth? In the church? In the home? On the job? On social media? In the world? Etc.
4. As you continue through 14:12-14, you see that Jesus speaks directly to the host. What else does He share with him? What reason does Jesus give for not being so exclusive at table? Who does He exhort the man to invite? Why? How does one's resurrection policy mean to impact one's invitation policy?
5. As you land in 14:15-24, ask yourself, 'do they get all this?' They've heard 'these things.' But do they get it? Do they repent? Do they discern anything wrong with themselves at all? What is the one man's assumption in 14:15? How does Jesus respond to it? Why do some invitees decline to attend to banquet? What excuses are given? What's at heart in those excuses? What is the Host's two-fold response to this in 14:21-23? What do these verses teach us about the heart of God? The desire of God? The grace of God? The expansiveness of His house? What is the Servant's mission? In light of it, what is ours? How does Jesus end the parable? How does it land on us?